To the Farmer in All of Us

Some progressives scoffed at the ad and suggested that conservatives want to return to a past that is no longer relevant, to a past that wasn't idyllic in the first place. It's true that every improvement is the result of change, but not every change is an improvement. The past shouldn't have an automatic veto, nor should calls for change throw out the treasured values that fueled and guided our two centuries of progress. America's challenge is to honor, reclaim and use those values to invent and guide an even better future.

On Super Bowl Sunday, at New Hope Lutheran Church in Agoura Hills, CA, Rev. Inman Moore talked about his first-hand civil rights journey in Mississippi's turbulent 60's. He reminded listeners that the compelling vision of our founding fathers that "all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..." has driven Americans to make that dream a reality.

To conservatives, E Pluribus Unum, "out of many one," is more than a slogan. It captures something important about America. America's inspiring vision of equal rights leaves no room for dividing citizens on the basis of gender, race, wealth, profession, or nation of origin.

Don't divide us. Don't make special entitlements or special laws for some Americans. Don't limit any American's ability to take advantage of their own opportunities or reap the rewards of their harvest. Let freedom ring. Give all the liberty to succeed or fail, let neighbor help neighbor in the tough times, and may all applaud successes when well earned.

Terry Paulson, PhD is a psychologist, award-winning professional speaker, author of The Optimism Advantage: 50 Simple Truths to Transform Your Attitudes and Actions into Results, and long-time columnist for the Ventura County Star.

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